As they say, it’s better late than never! In a world where people are already shifting to more reliable mapping and navigation apps like Naver in Korea and Waze in Southeast Asia, the Middle Eastern super-app Careem is only getting started with Google Maps.
The Dubai-headquartered hailing company Careem recently announced it is integrating its app with Google Maps on both Android and iOS gadgets.
The system will be available to users exclusively in the United Arab Emirates, or the UAE, but it will roll out to other regions in the coming days.
Google Maps is a comprehensive web mapping and navigation app that Google has developed, the world’s number one search engine.
It offers global satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360-degree interactive street-level views, real-time traffic conditions, and incredibly accurate planning routes for biking, driving, walking, and public transit.
Google Maps is equipped with these features:
- Turn-by-turn navigation: Access the vocal feature and real-time traffic updates to automatically guide you across a road congestion.
- Local discoveries: Lets you find local businesses, restaurants, and landmarks, complete with operating hours, images, photos, and user reviews.
- Street view: Allows you to explore locations at ground level via images in panorama, taken from mapping cars.
- AI and immersive view: Integrates AI models to provide 3D map views, weather tracking, and conversational exploration of locations.
Quite stunning. However, with several other apps of this kind coming out today, Google Maps has seemingly lost its appeal.
- It can be considered outdated. Google Maps has been around for several years already, started in 2006, so people feel that there are just better apps like this out there.
- Google Maps also draws heavy criticism for its cluttered interface, intrusive ads, and routing algorithms that frequently prioritize shortcuts it thinks is right through quiet residential neighborhoods over main highways. It doesn’t completely see through the convenience on the road.
However, for Careem, Google Maps is Google Maps, and they are headstrong in integrating this into its systems.
This integration of Careem’s offerings with Google Maps means a quicker ridesharing experience for users of these apps.
For passengers looking for directions in Google Maps, a simple tap on the ridesharing icon on the far-right reveals the closest available Careem cars and vehicles, together with the expected pick-up time and fare estimate for a ride to their selected destination.
Right now, passengers are offered the option to launch the Careem app and confirm their booking, with their pick-up and drop-off details automatically transferring to the Careem app.
Careem is a Middle Eastern superapp offering ridesharing, food delivery, digital payments, bike rentals, and courier services. It operates across multiple countries, helping users book transport, order meals, and access everyday services through a singular mobile platform.
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